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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · pit · face · court · bank · wave · last · band

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — to confront
  8. band — a music group
  9. last — finally
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. court — of a king
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a ring
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — in a race
  18. last — to go on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. last — final
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com